Theological Theme: Our Holiness is expressed in our dependence on God- Father, Son, and Spirit as the true King, not in our desire for substitutes. “As a church, we have to ask ourselves – Who is our King?…….. We live in a country where the majority of the population believes in God but how much authority does God have in their lives? Many seem to be ok with God as long he is just a spiritual uplifting thought or someone to turn to in hard times. But what about a God who dictates the purpose and the shape of your life? What about the notion of a God who is INCLUSIVE, who is INVOLVED and is the standard bearer of how we should be living our lives every day.” – Richard Andrews

Christ Connection: Israel’s demand for an earthly king, was a twisted form of a good desire- for God’s kingdom to come through His anointed leader – Jesus! God’s big plan incorporated Israel’s sinful desire and eventually led to the coming of Jesus, The King of kings.

“We want a God of predictability, a God of order, a God we can understand and figure out. Thus, it is profoundly disturbing to our theologies, well-honed beliefs, and carefully considered positions that God seldom does what we expect and even more rarely what we demand. He is a God of surprises, of true holiness, of great wisdom, power, and love. He is also God alone, and by nature of his being, position, holiness, and power, he is not required to respond to our every whim or demand for more information or better explanations!” –Beyond Opinion: Living the Faith We Defend, By Ravi Zacharias

Missional Application: God calls us to stand out from the world by showing, through His Holy Spirit, that true happiness and satisfaction can be found only in God. “Any challenge or hardship you are facing in your life, the battle is being fought by our King.” – Richard Andrews